


You don't chose the thug life (except when you do)

by Anonymous



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Erik, Alternate Universe - Mob, BAMF Charles, Charles is a BAMF each time, Charles is not Happy either, Charles is not a Damsel in Distress, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Kidnapping, M/M, Mob Boss Erik, Omega Charles, Omega Verse, Protective Erik, twice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 21:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10839882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.(aka the AOB Mob Boss AU nobody asked for).





	You don't chose the thug life (except when you do)

**Author's Note:**

> I really, *really* love Mob Boss AUs so I wanted to write one. 
> 
> And I like AOB so I wanted to use it without making Charles a weak damsel in distress, on the contrary.

_Thump, thump, thump_.

Charles winced as he woke up and squinted, the light in the room too blinding for him to fully open his eyes. His head was throbbing, making it difficult to focus, and his shoulders were aching as well. Why was his head hurting so much? It was almost as if he had taken a nasty blow to the head but the last thing he could remember was strolling outside the bar for some fresh air then nothing. It must have been a hell of a night if he had blacked out. Either way, his head was absolutely killing him, worse than any hangover he’d ever had and that was saying something. Charles tried to bring a hand to his temple to massage it but found he couldn’t. His hands were tied behind his back. He froze and his eyes flew open as fear spread in him.

What the fuck was going on?

Blinking a few times to get used to the spot blinding him, Charles took a look around him, confused and very much afraid now. The room was dark except for his spot. The windows were blocked by newspaper and the walls looked somewhat white but mostly decrepit. There was no one but him, sitting on a chair under a spotlight. There was no clue as to why he was here or where he was either and if wasn’t so afraid, he would have laughed because it looked like the set of a spy movie.

Stupidly hoping he could free himself, Charles tried to move his hands but a yelp escaped him as the rope holding him bit into his already bruised soft skin. Taking deep breaths to stay calm, he then tried using his powers to find someone who could help him out, or at the very least his captors, but the blow to his head was making it painful to focus. Damn it. Hopefully, there was someone nearby to keep an eye on him. No one in their right mind would leave an unmated Omega alone in a creepy room. He paled as a sickening thought crossed his mind but he forcefully pushed it away. Now was not the time to be paranoid. Surely there was a perfectly reasonable explanation behind all this. It might be a prank or a game. He had to stay calm and think, panicking would not help.

Heavy footsteps and masculine voices coming his way distracted him and he strained his ears, trying to catch what they were saying. They did not sound like jackass college students. More like… caricatures of contemporary mobsters. Or what Charles imagined modern mobsters to sound like. The two men, two Betas by their scents, had stopped in front of his door and were talking casually.

He tried to reach out for them, tried to get inside their minds to understand what was going on, but his head had still throbbing painfully. With a frustrated grunt, he resorted to simply listening to their conversation for now, leaving his powers for when his headache would recede. Hopefully, he would finally get what was going on and maybe talk his way out of this. Charles was quite good at diplomacy. And his powers would certainly come in handy today.

“I’m telling you, Greg, this stink. What if he attacks us before they can make the deal? He’s got the resources to do that.”

“Calm down, Johnny. The boss knows what he’s doing.”

Charles scowled, annoyance replacing his fear as he finally understood. So, all this was about money? They wanted to extort money from his family? Well, then whoever was behind this had been incredibly misinformed. Charles had severed all tied to his family the day he had turned eighteen, a fact he had repeated countless time to anyone who would ask him about the Marko-Xavier family. If he was close to having a teaching position at his age was all thanks to his hard work, _not_ his family’s reputation or its infamous network. Or him spreading his legs, thank you very much.

“We’ve got his precious bitch.” Johnny continued, sounding confident and smug. “He’d rather cut his hand that let anything happen to him from what I’ve heard.”

That made him snort. ‘ _Precious bitch_? Not only was this incredibly derogatory but it was also completely wrong. They’d picked up the wrong Omega. Kurt would never pay to get Charles back. If anything, he would pay to _never_ see him again. Unable to keep quiet anymore, Charles raised his voice, his tone only slightly disdainful. He was still scared but the men’s comments had annoyed him enough to speak up.

“Hi!” He called out as pleasantly as he could. “Sorry to interrupt but whatever you’ve heard about me is wrong. I don’t know what this is all about but if you expect some kind of payment from my stepfather, then you can wait a long time and I can be awfully annoying when I’m bored, so I’d strongly advise you to let me go.”

The voices outside the door fell silent then the door clicked opened and… Alright. The men were slightly more intimidating that Charles had anticipated. And they were carrying heavy guns. He stared at them with wide eyes, disconcerted for a moment, but quickly straightened up as much as he could, given that he was tied to a chair, and cleared his voice.

“Yes, hello gentlemen. Look, I’ve heard your discussion and clearly, you’ve got the wrong man here. I’ve got nothing to do with my family. My stepfather will never pay to have me back, believe me, so if it’s money you want, you might want to look for a real job rather than kidnapping the first guy you find in a back alley. Whatever amount of money you asked for, I assure you you’ll get it faster by working honestly. Also, what kind of flawed plan involves kidnapping a student? Do you know how expensive university is? If I had any kind of money, trust me, it’d be for my studies.”

The two men stared at him, looking thoroughly confused, then exchanged a quick look before the taller man looked back at Charles. He was the exact image that came to Charles’ mind whenever someone mentioned the New Yorker mafia in an ushered tone. He was tall, closely-shaved, bulky, and the skin not hidden by his black leather jacket was covered with either tattoos or scars. For what felt like the hundredth time, Charles wondered if he might have hit his head a bit too hard and was having some weird hallucination. The man raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not impressed by his bravado.

“What the fuck are you going on about, bitch? We don’t give a fuck about your family.”

Charles glared at the man for addressing him with such a derogative term then his frown turned to confusion. He was pretty sure he was not going mad yet. They _had_ mentioned a ransom and a man paying for it. Who else but his incredibly wealthy family would pay a ransom for Charles? The smaller man glanced at his phone, looking nervous, and Charles scowled. This was ridiculous. He was tired, hungry, his headache was killing him and none of this made any sense.

“Nuts. You two are absolutely nuts. Are you on drugs or something? Is this some sort of sick prank?” Charles shook his head then looked at them defiantly. “I will ask you to let go of me only once. I have better things to do than listen to two ridiculous imitations of the Godfather. I have no money, no value whatsoever. I’m just a student, mates. So, let me go, I won’t tell the police if that makes you feel better, but honestly this is absolutely ridiculous.”

Charles would have kept on talking but then the smaller man lost his temper and struck him with the back of his hand. It was painful but it was the violent anger and hint of fear that crashed against his mind that stunned him for a moment. God, the man was seething. And he really was a mobster.

“Shut the fuck up!” He turned to his friend. “I told you we should have knocked him out harder!”

“Damn it, Greg! The boss said not a scratch on him! You know Lehnsherr, he’ll tear us apart if we so much as bruise him and the deal will be off.”

“How do we even know he’s his bitch?! There’s no mark on him! They’re not mates! Who says he’s not just some bitch to fuck!?”

Charles froze upon hearing his lover’s name being dropped so casually in this discussion and gaped at his captors, more confused than ever. What did Erik have to do with anything? It only made sense in the sense that Erik _was_ pretty wealthy which would explain the ransom but still. Why would anyone want to blackmail Erik? And even a bigger question, why were they so afraid of him? Sure, Erik was a strong Alpha and short-tempered one, the kind that usually had Omegas and Betas alike tripping over themselves to get his attention, but he was a perfect gentleman and a complete sweetheart. Sure, he had heard that he was ruthless in business, but those men feared him like he might actually kill them…

He was violently pulled out of his thoughts when a loud explosion made the entire building shake. The men, who were still bickering a few seconds ago, suddenly started cursing and raised their guns as they skilfully made their way to the door to protect it. Charles sat in stunned silence as gun shots, yells and orders resonated throughout the building.

Terrified out of his mind, he brutally compartmentalised his pain to push it to the back of his head so that he could use his powers to control the two men. Whatever the hell was happening here, he wanted answers and most importantly, he wanted _out_.

While he used Greg to free himself, Charles dug through the other man’s mind, searching for clues, for anything that might help him understand what he had gotten himself into. The three of them froze when Charles found various memories the man had of Erik. In one, his lover was dressed in black with a dark red shirt, sitting on a chair casually while a red man – Azazel? – was violently punching the man tied to a chair to extract information from him. In another memory, Erik was surrounded by a large group of people, discussing boundaries, money and exchanging information. The last image was a mental map of all the gangs in New York. Erik owned one of the largest territories of the map.

Charles felt like he was choking on air. His heart was racing as he put the pieces together. His boyfriend was a fucking mob boss?? Now that he thought about it, it actually explained… well, it explained pretty much everything but...

Oh god. What had he put himself into?

By the time Charles came back to his senses, he was still frozen in place, the tall man at the door was unconsciously protecting him while the other man was standing uselessly behind him now that he had untied him.

He had absolutely no idea what to do.

His mind was blank.

Should he use the two men as protection to leave the building? The thought disgusted him. They had not really hurt him and he would _not_ be using them as human shields. And what if he had jumped to conclusion? Maybe it was all just a huge misunderstanding. Maybe it really was a joke and he was about to ruin it? Charles sat up, listening carefully. There were fewer gunshot outside, maybe he could escape? He glanced at the two men. He could wipe their memory and leave, but it would require some time, he had not done a trick like that in a very long time and-

The sound of footsteps quickly coming his way tore him out of his thoughts and in an instant, his powers lashed out defensively, effectively freezing everyone on the floor. His breath caught in his throat when he recognised Erik and his personal bodyguards and he immediately let go. Even if Erik was a mobster like all evidences seemed to prove, Charles trusted him and right now, he yearned for him. They were not mated but they shared a deep bond already and the knowledge that the Alpha was coming to save him was enough to sooth him. He wanted see him, to be in his arms, surrounded by his bright mind. Maybe he would tell him it was a stupid joke...

A terrifying feeling suddenly seized him as he realised Erik’s mind was set on killing whoever was around him though and with a quick thought, he made his two captors drop to the floor unconscious. Hopefully, that would be enough to avoid a bloodbath. Charles had a strong stomach but he was not sure he could withstand seeing people being shot – or worse – in front of him. Even less so if it meant witnessing the man he loved, went to bed with and imagined living with for the rest of his life be at the origin of said bloodbath. Not to mention that an Alpha could go feral when their Omega was in danger. Oh, thank god, they were not mated yet. Charles did not want to think about what might have happened otherwise, especially if Erik really turned out to be a mob boss. Did that mean he killed people on a regular basis?

“CHARLES!”

Erik’s voice cut through his spinning thoughts and Charles turned to him instinctively. Erik was running towards him. Worry was written all over his face, he looked paler than usual but there was something else on his face, something darker, much more dangerous, which turned his blood cold. Without meaning to, Charles cringed and stepped back to get as much space as he could between him and his lover. That got Erik to stop. For a second, they stared at each other then slowly, Erik raised his hand in front of him as he took a few cautious steps towards him.

“Charles. You’re safe, come to me. Nothing will harm you now.”

Behind Erik, Raven, Alex and Angel were making sure Charles’ captors were out, all guns drawn out. Charles stared at them then looked back at Erik. On one hand, he wanted to get to him because Erik was safety and comfort, but on the other hand… The way they were all acting was confirming his fears.

“Are you in the mafia?”

His voice was surprisingly steady and he was thankful for that.

Erik’s lips tightened into a thin line and his mind was even more carefully shielded but he kept walking towards him. Charles had definitely hit a nerve. Oh god.

“That’s not important,” Erik’s voice was soothing, his movement slow, as if he was trying to tame a scared animal. “We’ll talk about this later, for now we-“

“FOR NOW, YOU ANSWER ME.” Charles had not mean to yell but he was overwhelmed as reality dawned on him. He had been kidnapped to blackmail Erik because _Erik_ _was part of a fucking mafia_. Of course he would be. And of course Charles would fall in love with a mobster. Of course the man of his dreams would be in the mob. Oh, this was just great.

Erik paused, had the audacity to sigh, then answered after a deafening silence. “Yes, I am. I will explain. Now, will you _please_ come here and let me take you away from here?”

His tone was growing impatient but Charles could not care less. He was petrified. He was dating a mobster. He was sleeping with a mobster. He had been kidnapped for dating a _mobster_. And to think he had actually started imagining a future with Erik, that he had started thinking about _mating_ and starting a family once he would be given tenure at university because he _knew_ Erik was destined for him. How could he have been so blind? This had to be the worst day of his life. He was going to be sick.

“Charles, we have to leave. You can yell at Erik all you want but you can do it safely back at the flat, please?”

That was Raven.

As far as Charles knew, she was Erik’s head of security and adviser. He had grown rather fond of her. She was extraordinary and she sometimes indulged him when he asked her to show him her powers. But she was obviously a mobster too. God. Slowly, Charles nodded and started walking towards her. He hissed when Erik tried to touch him and moved away from him as he threw a warning look at him.

“ _Don’t touch me_. You owe me a lot of explanations that I’m not even sure I’ll accept.”

Erik seemed stunned by his cold, unforgiving tone, but he had the decency to look away guiltily. At least, he recognised having done something wrong. Had it been any other situation, Charles would have taken advantage of this opportunity to brag about Erik accepting being wrong, but… well. For now, he was pissed, terrified and distressed.

*

The ride back to Erik’s place was uncomfortable. Erik was looking outside the window, brooding and tensed, while Charles was trying to gather his thoughts. Would Erik kill him for discovering his true identity? Charles was almost a hundred percent sure he would not, but… Now, he was not so sure. Maybe he should have suggested going to a park? But then again, he did not enjoy making a scene in front of strangers and they were about to discuss Erik being a _mobster_.

And to think that he had come to New York to lead a quiet life as a university student. He had obviously done something very wrong on the way. Like meeting Erik and starting dating him. But he could only blame himself for that. Curse himself for falling so hard and so fast for Erik. Curse his soft heart for loving him so much it was nearly painful.

Charles was pulled out of his thoughts when the car stopped outside of Erik’s office. He tensed, close to backing out, but he took a deep breath and got out of the car. He was owed answers. God, he should have never let Erik scent-mark him the other night, it made it more difficult to imagine leaving him. Not to mention that his instincts were on the verge on going berserk at the thought of never seeing him again. And well if he was being honest… He couldn’t imagine his life without Erik anymore.

Shaking his head lightly to clear it and rebuild his mental shields, Charles followed the man inside his office. Erik was standing behind his desk, looking as collected as usual, but Charles could tell he was stressed and worried. He slowed down when Erik gestured for the chairs across from him, hesitant. He felt restless, he wanted to pace and move and yell, but he might also collapse at any time seeing as he still had not eaten or drank and had just gone through a rather traumatic experience even if he was trying very hard not to think about it.

Eventually, he sat down heavily and watched Erik imitating him, although more gracefully. Erik was looking into his eyes with an unwavering gaze, the pure depiction of coolness and control, but Charles had noticed the way his shoulders were tensed. And he could not miss the bitter scent of worry coming from him.

This was awkward. How were they supposed to start such a heavy discussion? He wasn’t even sure he wanted to hear Erik’s explanations. He longed to be in his arms but at the same time he wanted to get as far away from him as he could. One thing he definitely longed for was the comfort of his bed, although that had recently started to mean _Erik’s_ bed because he spent so much time with him it had started to smell of _them_ , of home and happiness.

Charles sighed deeply, running a hand down his face, then looked back at Erik.

“So... Explain. Everything. I will know if you lie, I don’t care about your no-peaking rule right now.”

A smile pulled at Erik’s lips for a second then he straightened up with a serious nod. “Fine. But I’m keeping some details for myself because it’s not relevant and because, contrary to what you may think, you don’t want to know everything.” Charles pursed his lips but he nodded, accepting his terms. “I'm the head of the Brotherhood. I’m sure you’ve heard about it, it’s quite an important… organisation. It owns your block for instance.”

According to information he plucked from his mind, that was a recent buy, made after he had taken on a smaller gang that had become too greedy. And it also ensured Charles’ safety so it had been a complete win-win for Erik. Charles scowled but bit back any reply, instead listening silently as Erik went through the history of his family’s tie to the mob. Awesome. He was apparently part of an old mafia on top of that.

“The office you meet me at every other day is a real business, completely legal and safe. Leaving the milieu is nearly impossible, but that doesn’t mean I have to bath in blood everyday even though some… old methods are still required ever now and then.”

Charles turned rather pale at that but he made no movement to speak, so Erik rightfully guessed he had to keep talking.

“Anyway. I did not tell you about my job for very obvious reasons. I’m pretty sure you’ve guessed them but I’ll list them anyway: I wanted to keep you safe, I wanted to keep you out of troubles, and well, more selfishly, I just wanted you. I stupidly thought I could keep it all away from you but I always knew you’d discover it eventually.” Erik let out a sigh then leant back in his chair, visibly bracing himself for more questions and/or some yelling.

Meanwhile, Charles was quiet, trying to absorb all that new information.

From the beginning of their relationship, he had known Erik was hiding something from him. On their first proper date, Erik had carefully guarded his mind when he told him about his telepathy. It had taken him aback, unused to people knowing how to shield their minds so well, but then Erik had asked him about his studies and Charles had forgotten all about that.

The meetings at ungodly hours of the night and the weird pristine smell he would wear when he came back late from work made more sense. The armed bodyguards, armoured vehicle and outrageously expensive flat too. Not to mention the nervous looks Erik would elicit from the crowd at parties despite being a generous donator and an important town figure. Which was true in more sense than one now. Charles had meant to ask Erik about those strange situations, but the timing had never seemed right and Erik had easily deflected the few questions he managed to ask, often distracting him with sex. Charles truly only had himself to blame for not digging deeper.

A light cough from Erik brought him back to the present and he stared at him, a little lost as to what he was to do with all that information. He was angry and worried, but not as scared as he probably should be. He _was_ sitting across from one of the most important mob boss in town. The sensible reaction would probably be to fear for his life. But Erik would not hurt him. That was at least one thing he knew about his lover and nothing in Erik's mind suggests that he was getting ready to dispose of his body. If anything, Erik was just as worried as he was. Still. While Erik had answered most of his unspoken questions, Charles needed to know at least one last thing.

“Were you going to tell me?” His voice sounded more confident than how Charles felt, which he was thankful for. “Or were you going to lie to me until we were mated? Until it was too late for me to back out of this?”

Erik had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable at his question. Good. Right now, Charles hated that he could look so composed after what had happened. But he guessed it was a requirement for the job, to look confident and composed no matter what was happening. He did not want to think too closely about the situations that might require Erik to look collected at any cost.

“I was going to tell you. But it was never the right time.”

Charles snorted. “Right. I mean, yeah, of course you're right, it's not something you tell your boyfriend over breakfast. Better wait until someone kidnaps him. Or even better, why not wait until you died and the police or whoever the fuck would come to tell me the truth?”

The other man had his lips pulled in a tight line. His thoughts were going a thousand miles an hour and Charles followed as he raised then discarded every possible scenario of how this could end. Eventually, Erik spoke up, his voice carefully controlled.

“I was wrong to keep you in the dark, I’m sorry. But now you know the truth so I guess it’s time for you to make a choice. Will you stay by my side now that you know everything about me?” He asked, his voice softer and tight. “I want you, Charles. I love you, I want to spend my life with you, but if you decide to… If you decide to leave me, then I’ll let you go and I’ll never contact you again.” He promised as he stared into his eyes, silently pleading him to stay.

The answer should be easy. They had only been dating for a few months, ending the relationship and going back to his own life would be the logical solution. How did the saying go again? Plenty of fishes in the sea? And Charles knew he was attractive. It would be easy to find someone else, a safe, proper lover, but… They would never be Erik. He certainly did not want to date a mob boss but he couldn't say the words that would save him from this madness. No matter how illogical or scary it was, Charles was considering keeping the relationship going.

Erik was… absolutely amazing. He was everything Charles could look for. His mind was so incredibly bright, his power unlike anything Charles had seen before, he loved their passionate debates and the places Erik took him on dates, and he was kind and loving and funny and witty and soft. And most importantly… he was _his_. 

Charles ran a hand down his face, barely holding back a frustrated grunt. He needed to think. He needed time.

“I’m going back home.”

Erik opened his mouth to protest but Charles cut him before he could as much as let out a sound. “I need to _think_ , Erik, I can't answer you right now. I need to… I need to eat, to drink and shower and sleep on this and- fuck, that's not exactly some light news. This is not you telling me you have a mate, or that you have a gambling addiction. I need some time alone to think. And I _mean_ it Erik, I don't want anyone keeping an eye on me, I'll know if there is someone on my tail.” He added, tapping his temple with the tip of his fingers when he caught Erik thinking about assigning Raven to protect him.

Erik scowled at him in reaction and shook his head adamantly. “You were just kidnapped, Charles. I can't let you walk away without some sort of protection, you’re known as one of mine now. The others know who you are, it could happen again.”

It was Charles’ turn to scowl and he sent Erik an angry look as he raised his voice. “Oh, so this is what my life is going to be like if I stay? A bodyguard coming with me to class? Me isolating myself from my friends? Playing cute Omega and waiting at home with my arse in the air for you to come home, praying you’ll be fine?” Not giving Erik a chance to reply, Charles stared him down. “Well you can shove that thought up _your_ arse. May I remind you that I could have _you_ and all of the people in this building behaving like toddlers for the next five minutes if it pleased me?”

That got Erik’s attention. He was eyeing him carefully now, his gaze calculating and interested, weighing the strength of this unveiled threat. Without intending to, Charles caught one of Erik's memories from earlier today as Erik replayed the moment when he had found Charles free of binding with two heavily armed men laying at his feet. That had impressed him, even though he had kept this information for later due to the emergency of the situation. They had never really discussed their powers, except to inform one another of theirs and Charles had made sure to keep how powerful he was to himself, not wanting to scare Erik away like his previous lovers. This was not a problem anymore, the man seemed turned on by his abilities more than anything else.

Either way, they were at a dead end so Charles stood up. “I'm going home. I'll… I'll be in touch. Maybe.” Erik seemed on the verge of standing up to stop him but he quickly deflated and nodded silently. His eyes followed Charles as he left the office but he did not stand to follow him out, a fact for which the younger man was actually thankful for. Parting was already much harder than he had expected.

*****

Thankfully for Charles, the rest of the week went by rather quickly and soon three weeks had passed. University provided enough distraction with the finals coming up and Erik had kept his words. He was pretty sure he had felt him and Raven hovering near his flat a few times but they had left him alone, which was exactly what he needed.

But despite his best intentions, his thoughts would inevitably fly back to Erik whenever he had a few minutes for himself and Charles would find himself imagining all the possible outcomes of him staying with him.

Like now.

Charles groaned and let his head drop on his book. There was no point in wasting more time fooling himself. He missed Erik. He was trying not to, but he might as well be trying to ignore the pink elephant in the room. He missed him, he missed his rich and familiar scent, his deep voice, his bright mind, his warm body... Charles would never admit it out loud, but he felt like those needy Omegas who could not live without their lover anymore. Each day away from Erik was physically hurting him. Like a part of him was missing. Which annoyed him greatly because he was supposed to be studying and he prided himself in being an independent Omega.

With a deep sigh, Charles closed his computer and packed up his stuff to head home, giving up for the day.

Once outside, he paused to take his phone out, his thumb hovering above Erik’s number as he had found himself doing more and more often over this past week. He wanted to call him but he didn’t know what he would say to him.

Looking back, he completely understood Erik’s motives to keep him in the dark but he was still cross with him for not even planning on telling him the truth. It didn't take a genius to understand that a godfather would be reluctant to tell his civilian boyfriend about his real job but Charles was an adult. He understood the risks of dating Erik. He understood that he would not be able to come back if he took a step inside this underground world. But although his kidnapping had been his first step in this underground world, he was not entirely unfamiliar with the mob. When the family business had started sinking, Marko had turned to rather undesirable individuals for money. That had been shortly before Charles had left. Yet another reason for his departure and now he was about to rush head first into this world. But at least it would be on his own terms this time.

And… a part of him wanted it. A part of him wanted to side with Erik because that would mean protecting him from harm. He could not stand the thought of him getting hurt and he had powers that could prevent such a thing from happening. Becoming a mobster was not part of his vision of the future but he could adapt. Most important, he could turn out to be less of a weight for Erik and more of a quiet, useful asset to use…

He wasn’t sure the other man would accept his idea though. He could be awfully protective and pig-headed. He was not even sure he liked the thought of putting his life in danger when he could lead a quiet, peaceful life as a professor in genetics. But he would for Erik. In a heartbeat.

A low rumbling pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked around him with a frown, expecting to chase a wasp away from him. Instead, he found himself looking down at his phone since the noise seemed to be coming from there. He froze when he suddenly realised that he _had_ pressed the call button and the sound was a furious (meaning worried) Erik snarling at him from the other end of the line.

_“- to God, if you lay a finger on him, I will - “_

“-not do anything! Good god, Erik, calm down!” Charles replied curtly, ignoring the way his heart had missed a beat at the man’s voice. While he could understand that receiving a call from him only to hear nothing might be distressing, there was no need to get _this_ upset.

There was a pause then a relieved sigh before Erik spoke up again, his voice much more controlled. Meanwhile, Charles had closed his eyes and leant against the wall behind him for support. He had not expected to talk to Erik today and his heart was fluttering in his chest. Damn, he missed him _so much_.

_“Sorry. But it’s been a minute already.”_

Charles could not help but smile lightly at that. Erik’s worry was, if slightly irritating, endearing in a way. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t realised I was calling you. I didn’t… I wasn’t planning on calling you.”

_“I see. Sorry I picked up.”_

“That’s not what I meant and you know that, Erik.”

Silence fell between them. Pushing himself away from the wall, Charles started walking towards his bus stop. Neither of them seemed ready to hang up so he might as well get moving. Erik was the first to speak up, obviously unable to keep quiet.

_“Have you reached a decision?”_

A new smile tugged at the corner of his lips and he rolled his eyes before waving at the approaching bus. Only Erik would talk as if they were trying to settle a deal and not deciding on what to do with their relationship. Charles nodded at the bus driver with a polite smile and waited to be seated before finally answering Erik, who was probably annoyed to have been kept waiting. It gave him time to think over his reply. He didn’t want the man to think he could win him back so easily.

“No, I have not.” Lie. “It’s not a light answer, you know and… Er…” Charles paused, searching for his words, then went a little still when he felt someone’s attention on his discussion. Everyone liked the drama of an Omega fighting with his or her lover over the phone. “Can we meet? I don't like talking on the phone and this discussion calls for a face to face meeting. Over a cup of tea or-”

_“How about dinner tonight? I'll pick you up and take you to that nice French restaurant you like.”_

Charles might not be very good at picking up on emotions without his powers but he could _hear_ the smugness in Erik’s voice. The man seemed confident Charles had made up his mind and was ready to continue their relationship. Well, he would keep him on his toes a little longer.

“I haven't made up my mind so don't think you're off the hook yet, Erik. I just want to talk.” He replied a little more harshly than he had intended but at least it seemed to have wiped the smile off the Alpha’s face for he sounded almost contrite in his next words.

_“I wasn't presuming anything. It just seemed like a… like a nice and quiet place to chat. You love that restaurant.”_

Charles hummed in reply, focused on making sure his bus driver would not miss his stop, and only spoke up once he was outside. “Fine. Eight o'clock. And you're _not_ picking me up, I can walk just fine and I swear I’ll make you regret it if you cross me at any point tonight.”

Without giving Erik a chance to answer him, Charles hung up and let out a shaky breath as he leant against his front door, a hand pressed over his frantic heart. Holy shit. He’d just threatened a mob boss. Oh well. Better get used to it. He was not a trophy Omega that would wait around all day for his rich, scary head-of-a-syndicate mate to come home. He expected to be treated as an equal, just like Erik had always treated him up until now, and he would definitely tell Erik off if he tried to control him.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, he grabbed his keys with shaky hands and slipped inside his flat. He had to show Erik he would never back down just because he was the head of a mafia. He might be a ‘civilian’ but he also had powers and he would not allow anyone to scare him. Let alone his lover and potential future mate. Because there was no point in deluding himself further: he wanted to spend his life with Erik. Charles had already made his decision. He had made it back in Erik’s office actually. Now, it was time for him to face the consequences his choice.

But most importantly, it was time to dress up for his dinner and to think on what he would do because he was _not_ letting him win him so easily. Erik would have to _earn_ the right to be with Charles.

*

In retrospect, Charles probably should have taken a cab.

He also probably should have paid more attention to the black car he had seen lurking around his block a few times when he had seen in parked outside his flat earlier that day. But he had been so lost in his thoughts, trying to think of what he would say to Erik, he only registered he was being attacked when he felt a needle burying in his neck then everything went black.

He really hoped mating Erik would not result in monthly kidnapping. He had better things to do than play bait and it was quite painful, his head was throbbing. Cracking an eye open with a sigh, Charles found himself bound to a chair once again in a small room barely lit. An Alpha man was sitting across from him this time, looking intimidating and radiating of confidence.

He scowled.

“I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you’re going to regret this.”

The man chuckled but there was a curious look in his eyes as he took him in again. He had obviously not expected Charles to sound so confident. He’d probably expected tears and pleading for his life. Not that Charles was not scared, he was terrified out of his mind, but he was trying his best to hide it. He didn’t want to give his captor the satisfaction of seeing him scared, even though he could see the paleness of his face.

“You’re awfully confident for a powerless Omega strapped to a chair alone with an Alpha.”

Charles froze, a cold shiver running down his spine, chilling him to the bones. What did he mean powerless? He couldn’t mean… Charles tried to reach for his powers but he was met with emptiness. Panic replaced his surprise but he forced himself to swallow it down, forced himself to breath slowly though his throat felt too tight. He couldn’t afford to panic. Erik was probably already looking for him. He just had to hold on a bit longer. Charles might not have his powers but that did not mean his brain was dead. He had to _think_.

“How do you know about my powers?”

Charles was actually rather proud of himself. His voice was not as shaky or scared as it could have been, considering the situation. The man was evidently not fooled by his bravado but he didn’t look annoyed or angry so Charles guessed questions were safe for now. The man reeked of confidence and pride. He probably thought nothing could go wrong with him drugged.

“Lehnsherr would never fall for a human. No matter how pretty he is. And well, better safe than sorry, right?” The man replied with a pleased smirk. Damn, the man hadn’t known he was a mutant until his question. Hopefully, he did not know _what_ mutation he had.

“What do you want from me?”

“Oh, nothing, sweetheart. Well, there’s many things I want from you,” his disgusting gaze ran over him slowly, appreciatively, “but you’re here to make sure Lehnsherr will do as he’s told for once. So just sit there and look pretty while the Alphas work. You probably know how to do that very well, since you’re Lehnsherr’s bitch.”

Though he was affronted by the suggestion that he was only a pretty face to fuck, Charles was also a little relieved. He was not in any immediate danger. The man, or whoever his boss was, needed him alive to pressure Erik into doing something for him. He knew from his leering look that the guy with him wanted him but he would not act out on his impulse. That was slightly reassuring and it helped calm down his panicking heart. Although now, Charles wasn’t as much scared as he was angry. He might be an Omega but he was more than that and he could very much hold his own. _Erik_ himself knew better than to cross him.

Sending the man a seething look, Charles once again tried to reach for his powers and he couldn’t help a small gasp when he felt it responding faintly. Whatever substance they had injected him with was starting to wear off. The second his powers would come back, he would show this man just how ‘pretty’ he was when he would control him. No matter how much Charles loathed using his powers to take advantage of others, he certainly would not think twice about using it against someone who had attacked him, belittled him, and planned on using him to hurt Erik. People often forgot that Omegas could be quite vicious to protect their mates and Charles was no exception.

“Erik will tear your boss apart. But it’s nothing in comparison to what will happen to you.” He growled, earning a laugh from the man. Good. Let him underestimate him. It would make his escape easier.

“I don’t think so, pretty eyes.” The man chuckled, leaning back in his chair with a smug smirk. “You can’t do anything and Lehnsherr is too afraid of what might happen to you to try anything foolish.”

The man was not exactly wrong. Erik would be very careful to avoid doing anything that might lead to Charles getting injured or worse. But that did not mean he was not actively looking for him. Charles’ powers were not yet strong enough to scope out the town but he didn’t need them to know Erik was fuming and probably turning the town inside out to find him. He remembered how Erik had looked the first time he had been kidnapped: downright murderous. A shiver ran through him at the memory and the Alpha stupidly mistook it for fear.

“Oh yes, you should be scared, little Omega. We’ve been studying you for weeks, we know everything about you. I’ve gotta admit I was a bit surprised when I discovered you didn’t know how to protect yourself. I imagined Lehnsherr’s bitch would be trained and everything since he doesn’t like weak people but well, love makes you blind I guess.”

Charles shot him a dark glare but then he realised his powers were back and- oh, jeez, yes, Erik was angry. He winced as powerful waves of rage crashed against his weakened shields. The man was outside the building, having disposed of the other boss’s body, but Charles was not about to wait to be saved like a damsel in distress when his powers were back.

“You alright sweetheart?” The Alpha smirked at him. “You should smile, it’d look prettier on your-“

“Shut up.” Charles cut in and the man’s lips closed immediately, preventing him from speaking further. Pure panic replaced the man’s smug expression as he stared at him with wide eyes. Charles was not particularly fond of the effect he had on people when they realised he was a telepath but today would be an exception since his life was at stake.

“You clearly don’t know everything about me, dickhead. Now, untie me while I deal with the rest of your team-“ The room suddenly shook violently and Charles paused before scowling at the pieces of the roof that had fallen over them. Erik had better rein in his emotions because he would not be particularly grateful if he dropped a whole building on top of him.

_Erik, have you forgotten that I am **inside** the building? Would you **please** be careful with your powers?_

Confusion answered him, followed by a powerful wave of relief and affection.

_Charles! Are you okay?!_

_I’m fine, just taking care of the guy with me. **I’m fine**_ , he repeated firmly when anger crashed against his mind. _I don’t know where I am in the building though, but apparently, you do, so, by all means, come pick me up whenever you’re done… taking care of people_.

Focusing back on the man sitting across from him, Charles ordered him to release him then made him go to sleep. He had absolutely no plan on killing anyone when he could put them to sleep. He might be on the verge of mating a mobster, but he was no killer and he intended to remain so, thank you very much.

His body was a little numb after hours tied to a chair but he managed to get to his feet and glanced at the man sleeping on the floor hesitantly. Should he wipe his memory? It would be safer for Erik and him to make the man forget everything about them… but he was reluctant to use his powers to do that. Changing memories was a difficult and delicate business. If he was not careful, he might wipe out _all_ his memories, all his personality traits, and seeing how stressed out he was right now, he had better leave the man’s mind alone.

Charles nearly jumped out of his skin when the door suddenly flung open to reveal a Beta with a heavy gun and a bloodied shirt. The man took advantage of his confusion to hit him hard on the head with the hilt of his gun. He crumbled to the ground with a groan as pain exploded in his head but the man immediately picked him up and half-dragged him out of the room. To his credit, Charles did try to resist but the hit had made him dizzy and he could barely register what was happening around him.

“Move! Fucking bitch. Too fucking weak, can barely take a hit. Should’ve just killed him.” The man kept muttering angrily under his breath as he dragged him out of the room.

Charles tried to fire back a smart reply but he seemed tongue-tie, too confused to be able to speak. He faintly noticed the man was taking down an empty corridor, further and further away from the gunshots. Which wasn’t right, he needed to get back to Erik and this was where Erik was… His watch suddenly tugged at his wrist, like it was trying to pull away, but he was in too much pain to really pay attention to it. Then, there was another tug, much harsher, that sent him crashing out of the man’s hold and to the ground.

What the-

The man yelled. The necklace around his neck seemed to have gained a life of its own and had tightened into a deadly knot around his throat, rapidly suffocating the man. Even more confused than before and slightly terrified, Charles stared at the man then scrambled to his feet to help him but before he could, the man was thrown against the nearest wall and knocked out cold. Stunned, Charles stood rooted on the spot then turned around when a familiar mind came close to him.

Erik was there, only a few meters away, looking as gorgeous and deadly as ever in his black suit. Charles stared at him, unable to think of something to say, then it was like the reality of what had happened dawned on him and he stumbled towards him. Erik caught him before he could fall _again_ then his big hands were all over him, checking for injuries. At first, Charles let him without any resistance but the other man was emitting such strong emotions, it made him wince and nearly fall to his knees.

“Erik, _please_ , get a hold of yourself, I’m fine.”

The man started at his demand, taken aback, but nodded and obeyed. Charles could still feel his emotions but it was more manageable. Erik’s hands were soft on his face, stroking him tenderly as he watched him with too many emotions in his eyes for Charles to decipher them all but he saw relief, pain, worry, love…

“Sorry. I was just so… Are you alright? They threatened to… I thought I was going to lose you.”

There was real fear in his voice and this, more than anything else, made Charles realise he might have been closer to dying than he had thought. He paled and held onto Erik tighter as cold shivers ran down his spine. He had caught a glimpse of the man imagining putting a bullet through his head after using him but he had been unable to figure out if it had been a fantasy or a plan. Oh, god. He might have died. His throat felt like it was constricting, cutting off his air supply, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t think-

“Charles? Charles. _Liebling_. Look at me, please.”

The familiar, comforting voice cut through his terrified thoughts and he looked up to meet Erik’s warm eyes. One of his hand was gently cupping his face while the other was on his waist, keeping him standing. Charles eagerly leant into the touch, yearning the reassuring feeling that he was safe. He loathed looking weak but he would allow himself to bask in Erik’s strong, protective arms and loving feelings for now.

“Breath, like me. Slowly.” Charles followed the instruction then closed his eyes and buried his face in Erik’s chest. The man immediately wrapped his arms around him and he felt his lips pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You’re safe. I have you, can you walk?”

Charles took a few seconds to process the question then took a deep breath and nodded. “I- Yes. Yes, I can, just, don’t let go.” Erik was happy to obey him, keeping an arm around his waist as he guided him outside the building.

They walked past scenes of destruction but Charles blocked it all out, focused on trying to make sense of his life. Hopefully, Erik would help him with that. He was probably used to similar situations.

“I really hope being with you won’t mean I’ll be kidnapped every other month. It’s rather annoying, you know?”

Erik paused then a faint chuckle escaped him and he pulled him closer. “We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“I don’t want bodyguards.”

Pause. “Let’s talk about that later, alright?”

Charles huffed but he had to agree that he might not be in the right set of minds to talk about that since he was still a little shocked by what had happened to him. Soon, they were surrounded by familiar minds and he felt himself calming down. They had reached Erik’s men but instead of feeling stupidly victorious for winning against an enemy pack like he had expected, they were all tense and watching him worriedly. Curious, he let his telepathy skim over their thoughts and blinked in surprise at what he caught: _Pack. Omega mate. Safe!_ Oh. Charles hadn’t realised most of them had already accepted him as Erik’s lover. It probably had to do with the fact that Erik was always softer and calmer around him. And that Charles brought them pastries every now and then. Still, he let out a surprised sound and felt Erik focus all his attention on him in reaction.

“Erik, tell everyone I’m fine. I’m not hurt, they didn’t do anything, so… yeah, tell them they can relax. No need to worry.”

At first, Erik seemed confused by his request but a quick look at his men made him understand and he frowned lightly. “They have every right to worry, Charles. You’ve been kidnapped, drugged, and hit at least twice. You… You’re not officially part of the pack, you don’t ever have to be, but the ones who know you consider you as such. You’ve got them wrapped around your little finger.”

“Oh.”

Charles had no idea what to say to that. He wanted to be with Erik, he had already made up his mind on that point, but he had never planned on what that would mean from the pack’s point of view. Which was stupid of him. He should have thought of their reaction. Erik was the head of a goddamn syndicate. If they were as cliché as they seemed to be, then he might as well be the leader of a rather large, loyal and dangerous family. And as his future mate, Charles important. He would provide stability and comfort to the Alpha, keep him in check, and… obviously produce the next generation.

Charles winced as he ran a hand through his hair. He did not want to think about that already. For now, he wanted to be in a safe place with Erik and no one else. He wanted his lover, not the mob boss he was.

“Just tell them I’m fine and take me home, please.” Disappointment rose in Erik and Charles rolled his eyes. “I mean your flat, idiot. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve decided to stay with you.”

Erik brightened up, obviously pleased by his reply, and Charles felt a gentle kiss on the top of his head by way of answering him. He huffed again but said nothing because the loving gesture made his heart feel tighter in his chest. He had missed it. Erik, his scent, his mind, everything. Finally being in his arms after a month of longing was almost heady. But he would not allow him to believe they were perfectly fine.

“But don’t think you’re off the hook just yet. We have a lot of things to talk about.” Charles warned gruffly as he got inside the SUV parked outside the building. “I had a whole speech planned and I fully intend to set rules, and talk, and I expect answers but… but not tonight. Tonight, I want you. I missed you.”

Erik had smiled at his warning tone but he grew serious at his last words and nodded. “I missed you too. A lot. And I’ll tell you everything. If we are doing this, you deserve to know the whole truth.”

Charles knew that once they made their relationship official, there would be no backing out. There would be no return to his old life as if nothing had happened. His head started to pound painfully and he stopped thinking about what his new life entailed. For now, all he wanted was to sleep, cuddle with Erik, and eat. Not necessarily in that order. The thought of cuddling with Erik made him smile though and he moved in the car to sit right next to him, smiling even more when Erik immediately wrapped his arms around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. For a mobster, he could be incredibly sweet and thoughtful.

“Yes, I do.” Charles replied then he pulled a face. “Although, on a second thought… maybe not… maybe not the whole truth, I’m not sure I want to know about the… the torture, the killings and all that. But if we’re doing this, then the first rule is: no lies. I don’t lie and you don’t lie. I’ll know if you do anyway but I want to know I can trust you as blindly as I thought I could.”

Erik was a little tense against him so Charles placed a hand over his thigh, using his thumb to stroke his leg and encourage him to talk. “I can’t promise that, Charles. Lying might be the only way to keep you safe.”

Charles pulled a face but he quickly relented. Erik was probably right. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to know everything about the syndicate anyway. “Alright, fine. But be reasonable about what you lie to me about.” A yawn escaped him and he buried his face in his chest. “Now shut up and hold me. I want to sleep. We’ll argue later, I’m still cross with you but I’m tired and my head hurts. And you owe me a suit, they ruined it.”

Without waiting for a reply from Erik, Charles closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep, absolutely exhausted. His life was about to get incredibly more stressful, he might as well get some rest beforehand.

FIN

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I really hope you liked it and leave a comment if you did!
> 
> Do let me know if there are mistakes I missed, I had it beta'd it but neither me nor my best friend are native English speakers so we might have missed a few things.


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